


With Friendly Heartiness

by StrangerThanThou



Category: David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
Genre: Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, M/M, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 04:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10914210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangerThanThou/pseuds/StrangerThanThou
Summary: The end of Chapter 19 ("I Look About Me, and Make a Discovery"), rewritten to make it a little more obvious what happened.Dickens says, "we parted with friendly heartiness at his door."I don't buy it.





	With Friendly Heartiness

**Author's Note:**

> First lines are the actual text; then it shifts to the rewritten version.

. . .   
The waiter immediately withdrew to make the exchange. Steerforth, very much amused at my having been put into forty-four, laughed again, and clapped me on the shoulder again, and invited me to breakfast with him next morning at ten o’clock—an invitation I was inly too proud and happy to accept. It being now pretty late, we took our candles and went upstairs, where I found even the hall at this end a great improvement on my former setting. I remarked upon this to Steerforth at my door, wishing heartily to impress upon him the vital change he had wrought on my situation, but he did not seem to hear me. We stood face to face, a step removed from the door to my new quarters, but I did not immediately reach toward the handle, for something in his countenance alarmed me. He looked suddenly ill, as though he had felt a shadow fall upon him or that he feared for his life, for his eyes directed their stare at me with such odd intensity that I felt he must certainly be suffering in some manner of awful physical pain.  
“Why,” I exclaimed in shock, “my dear Steerforth! Are you at all well? Do speak to me, Steerforth!”  
He opened his mouth as if to make answer, but seemed to think better of it. I myself was relieved by his mere capability of movement, having feared the worst. His eyes lowered momentarily, and he haltingly placed a hand on my shoulder, as though he fancied himself unstable and in danger of falling.   
“Daisy—” he began, but he did not continue.  
“What—” I started. But I was struck silent: his eyes, momentarily focused upon the floor, returned to meet my gaze with such a renewal of energy that I could not speak for wonderment, there was such an odd look in them as I had never seen, either during that night’s brief acquaintance or previously at school. I found myself unable to move under such observation.   
His right hand, which had hung unengaged at his side, rose, I thought to brace himself upon my other shoulder. But to my surprise it continued its upward path, to brush gently across my cheek! I was acutely aware of a thudding behind my breast, and in my throat my breath caught of its own accord. I believe I opened my mouth to say something, I know not what, when in that instant Steerforth suddenly vanished the step between us—and pressed his lips to mine!  
I started in shock, and nearly stumbled backward and fell, but that Steerforth’s hand prevented it, firmly planted behind my neck. It lasted a mere instant, yet to my reeling mind it was an eternity, through which a thousand half-formed notions crowded—only to be replaced by the sensation of warmth and the pressure of those crimson lips. Oh, to think that I had once imagined them cruel!  
Then in that same instant, it ended. The hands released me, and Steerforth moved hastily away. I stumbled backward, hit the wall, and sank to the carpeted floor, hearing the door of number seventy-four open and shut behind me.


End file.
